Sunshine Factory is leaving New Hope after 37 years

By John Vomhof Jr. – Staff reporter/broadcaster, Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal

Apr 10, 2013, 2:19pm CDT

The Sunshine Factory Restaurant & Bistro is moving to Plymouth after 37 years in neighboring New Hope.

The new location will be at 4100 Vinewood Lane, near the intersection of Interstate 494 and Rockford Road, about three miles west of the current Sunshine Factory restaurant. The site — formerly home to Baker's Square and now Peony's China Bistro — is located in the parking lot of Rockford Road Plaza.

Sunshine Factory plans to raze the existing restaurant and build a new 7,400-square-foot building and a 2,600-square-foot outdoor patio with a fire pit and fireplace. That's smaller than the New Hope location, but owner Randy Rosengren says the new space will be significantly more efficient, allowing the restaurant to generate the same sales in less space. The company is working with Wilkus Architects on the design.

The city of Plymouth approved Sunshine Factory's zoning and planning application last week, and the Rosengren hopes to receive a liquor license and building permit in early May. He plans to begin construction on June 1 and open by mid-November. The New Hope location will remain open until then.

Rosengren said he decided to relocate to Plymouth after failing to reach an agreement with the landlord on a lease renewal for the current site at 7600 N. 42nd Ave. in New Hope, where Sunshine Factory's current lease is due to expire in June 2014.

"We had to close or relocate, and relocate was the only option that made sense," he said. "From there, it was a matter of finding the right site that would be near enough to where we are so our brand and identity would have strength, and keep our customer base and 110 employees within driving distance."

Plus, the Plymouth site will benefit from more adjacent retail. Rockford Road Plaza's tenants include HomeGoods and T.J. Maxx, and a Kohls store is slated to replace the Rainbow Foods that will close in May. There's also a Target store across the street.

In addition to Sunshine Factory, Rosengren also is a large shareholder in the Maynard's Restaurant locations in Excelsior and Rogers, and Malone's Bar & Grill in Maple Grove.

By John Vomhof Jr. – Staff reporter/broadcaster, Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal